The Islip Roll Re-Examined

Ordinary Meeting of Fellows (Fellows and Guests Only)

The Islip Roll Re-Examined

Lecture by Matthew Payne, FSA

The mortuary roll drawn up in 1532 on the death of Abbot John Islip, the last great Abbot of Westminster before the Dissolution, is one of the finest surviving examples of its kind. Once believed to have been the work of Holbein, the exquisite draughtsmanship provides us with the only extant view of the interior of the medieval Abbey. Abbot Islip oversaw the building of the new Lady Chapel at Westminster Abbey, and this lecture marks the 500th anniversary of that building’s dedication. It will explore the possible reasons for the roll’s creation, and the individuals responsible, as well throwing much new light on its subsequent history.